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A/N: Please give this story a chance if you're reading...things start to pick up in the next chapter. Please leave a review too. It would mean a lot to me! Thanks!

Chapter Two

Anita stared at the doctor blankly for a moment, not quite sure if she’d heard him correctly. She shook her head, hoping to clear her ears and head so she would take in what he’d told her correctly, instead of hearing the worst possible scenario.

“E...excuse me?” Anita questioned, “I...I don’t think that I heard you right. Could you please repeat what you said?”

Dr. Robertson looked at her with sympathy filled eyes. He reached out, placing one hand on top of her shaking ones, hating this part of his job. Hating the part where he had to deliver bad news, especially to those who were so young, such as the young girl sitting across from him.

“You have Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia,” he explained more clearly, “It is the most common type of Leukemia in young people below the age of nineteen.”

“Thi...this has to be a mistake,” Anita cried out, “I am nineteen now...you said under nineteen...so this has to be a mistake.”

The doctor held up his hand motioning for Anita to stop speaking, shaking his head sadly. Her words slowly died down as she just looked at him, the silence in the room driving her madly insane.

“Most cases are in those under nineteen, but it is not impossible to get it at your age, or even a few years older. The most common cases are shown in the first decade of life, and then increased again in older years, however the chances are still there that one can get it somewhere in between.”

Anita gulped, taking in all of the information she’d been told. She was slowly beginning to let it all sink in, grasping it. She said nothing, not knowing what to say as her body began to quaver slightly. She wished more than anything that her friends were there. She needed support from someone, anyone who she was familiar with. She needed her three best friends to lean on, but she had nobody there. She was alone. A tear formed in the corner of her eye as she let it fall, not even bothering to stop it. More tears came, and then more, streaking down her cheeks, leaving permanent lines in her makeup. She sniffled, at loss for words, not knowing what to say, what to think, where to begin.

“I’m sorry, Anita,” Dr. Robertson said again, “I’d like to check you into the hospital this afternoon and start treatment immediately. The sooner the chemotherapy begins, the better off you will be in the long run.”

Anita looked up at him, grabbing a tissue out of the box on his oak desk without asking, figuring that was what they were there fore. She dabbed her eyes, wiping away the tears as best she could. She opened her mouth, and after several attempts, found her voice.

“A...am I going to...die?” she stuttered, the tears falling harder again at the thought of her life ending. She had so much to live for and so many goals that she wanted to complete.

“I’m going to be completely honest with you, Anita,” Dr. Robertson told her, “The possibility with dying when it comes to cancer is always there, however, if you keep a positive attitude and do what you are told to do, the chances of recovering and going into remission are very likely. Your chances of hitting remission are extremely high beings you are young and in good shape.”

Anita nodded, letting everything new she was being told sink in. She stood up on wobbling legs and the doctor followed. She wasn’t sure how she wasn’t collapsing, as upset and traumatized as she was. This definitely was the worst day of her life. Then a second thought hit her.

“How long do I have before I need to check in?” Anita asked, deciding knowing that bit of information would be beneficial to her.

Dr. Robertson looked down at his watch then back up at Anita, “It’s about one now...do you want to go home, pack up a few things and be back by four?”

Anita nodded, feeling in a daze. She wondered how long her stay would be. She wondered what she would be going through in the next few weeks, or even months. Her life had become a road of unknowns and Anita didn’t know how she was going to get through it all.

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Anita sighed as she took her first real look around the hospital room. It was plain, with drab white walls, white curtains, white sheets and bedspread, white everything. The only color in the room was the main door and bathroom door, which were brown and the TV that was hanging from the wall, which was black. Then there was the single framed picture on the wall with some odd design in dark shades of pink, green and blue that hospitals and doctors offices found so appealing. Some sort of abstract design. Anita didn’t know what it was, other than it at least added some color to the room. Other than that, there was nothing. Anita sighed, wanting anything that would add color to the room. She walked over to the window, swiftly opening the curtains. The bright yellow sunshine burst through the window, the blue skies looking like a painting to her eyes.

Walking over to the bed, Anita sat down, expecting it to be soft and comfortable. Instead, she was welcomed by a hard, firm mattress. She snorted in distaste, wondering why the place couldn’t make the patients stay, or imprisonment rather, as enjoyable as possible. She sighed again, realizing that this was probably going to be one of the last days that she felt normal. She started chemotherapy the next day already, and from what she knew of it, it would drain her of the life she had always known. Anita was scared, but would never admit it aloud. She wanted to keep up her tough, strong attitude, even though that was diminishing before her eyes.

When Anita had gotten home, she’d packed up a couple pairs of pajamas, one pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, along with a toothbrush and toothpaste, a brush and a stuffed animal...a bear she’d had since she was small and had grown attached to, even in her later teenage years. The doctor had told her that it was a good idea to bring a little something that she was familiar with to hold on to during chemo sessions. He said that it would help ease the pain if she had something to squeeze and concentrate on. Anita found that to be childish, however she also was up to trying anything that would help her, no matter what that something would be. Anything that would take her mind off of what was about to be happening to her. Anita had also packed a journal, knowing she should record her thoughts and feelings. That had, as well, been the doctors idea. She thought that it was a rather good one too. One that would let out all of her fears and pains into writing. Ones she wouldn’t have the nerve to say aloud in words to anybody. She didn’t want anybody to think of her as a coward, because she had never been a coward. Not until that day. A day that held her life in its hands and held her destiny and fate within its clutches.

Anita had called Madison, but got her voice mail on her cell phone. Her throat had started to close up with tears, and she choked out the words that she was being admitted and to tell the rest of the group, quickly hanging up. She knew that she couldn’t face making the same call two more times. It would be too hard for her. Anita wondered how her friends would take the news once they found out what was really going on. She’d failed to elaborate on what the test results had specified. She wondered though if when they were told, if they would stick by her side and they would still remain best friends or if they would back off, treating her like a contagious leper just because she had cancer. Anita figured that this was the true test of their friendship. If they stayed, it meant that their bond meant something. If they didn’t, it meant that they had never been her true friends in the first place. Sadly, Anita wondered which it would be, for it could easily go either way. The thought scared Anita more than anything, because if her three friends left her, she would most certainly be alone.

Quickly shaking the thought from her head, Anita got up, deciding to take a small self tour around the hospital. She’d found out that there was a lounge somewhere nearby for the patients to hang out at and socialize. She hoped that there would be some people around her age. If not, she was sure to go crazy with boredom.

As she walked, Anita was sure to take in her surroundings. This would be her home for the next several weeks. Maybe months, depending on her progress, which she hoped was speedy in a positive way. She’d hate to leave to go home on hospice because there was nothing more that they could do for her. As depressing as the thought was, it entered her mind, and she could not discard it.

Anita located where the nurses station was. She figured that would be vital in case she ever buzzed the nurses in the middle of the night and they didn’t show up. Then she could hunt them down and locate them herself.

As she walked, she peered in to rooms of fellow patients. Her heart sunk, realizing most of them were much older than herself, with the exception of a few. But all of them had one thing in common. They looked sick. They looked exactly how she would sooner or later. Exactly how she did not want to look or become. The reality of her situation was becoming all the more real now and Anita realized that she wasn’t ready for what was in store for her. Not in the least. She wasn’t prepared. Taking in a deep breath, she forced the tears away. It was too soon to start crying. She had too much time to cry, which was coming quickly.

Rounding a corner, Anita ran in to a room filled with people. She’d found the lounge and activity room. Stepping inside, she took a look around. The one room had a few couches with magazines and books, while the next over had ping pong and pool tables. There was another small room with board games. Each of them was occupied with a few people engaging in activities. Anita settled on the room with the books and magazines, the quieter of all of them, and the brightest. She walked over to the glass door which led to the outside. There were a few swinging benches and a small lake with a walking trail going around it. Anita knew she would be spending a lot of her time outside. She loved the fresh air. There was just something so relaxing about it. Lost in her thoughts, Anita stood there, gazing outside, oblivious to everything that was going on. She didn’t even hear someone walk up directly behind her.

“Excuse me,” a masculine voice asked, causing Anita to jump, “May I please go outside. You’re blocking the doorway.”

Anita slowly turned around to leave, but froze, stunned, finding herself looking up into the most gorgeous pair of green eyes she’d ever seen.